Iraq Moves to Repatriate Foreign Women and Children from Prisons

Iraq has announced plans to begin the repatriation of hundreds of foreign women and children currently held in its prisons, many of them linked to the Daesh group. The initiative, revealed by Iraqi officials over the weekend, would exclude women sentenced to death but cover those convicted of common crimes or found guilty of Daesh affiliation. According to security sources, the largest number of detainees hail from Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Russia, while smaller groups include two French women, one of them Djamila Boutoutaou, who was handed a 20-year sentence in 2018 for her links to the group.

The decision comes at a time when Iraqi prisons are grappling with severe overcrowding, operating at 150 percent of capacity, according to a July report by the justice ministry. “We have hundreds of women and children in our penitentiary establishments,” ministry spokesman Ahmed Laibi confirmed, adding that deporting them would ease pressure on facilities. Around 625 foreigners and 60 of their children remain behind bars in Iraq, alongside thousands of Iraqis jailed on terrorism-related charges, many of them following what NGOs have described as hasty trials.

To manage the process, Iraq’s justice ministry has created a committee headed by the justice minister, tasked with drafting a repatriation plan in coordination with foreign governments. The committee’s work is being closely watched by international observers, as it touches on delicate issues of diplomacy, human rights, and counterterrorism policy. Last Thursday, Iraqi officials met with several foreign diplomats to discuss the logistics and legal framework required for such transfers.

Diplomatic sources, however, caution that the process is unlikely to move quickly. “I’m not sure this can happen very quickly,” one European diplomat told AFP, citing the need for bilateral agreements between Iraq and detainees’ home countries before repatriations can proceed. In many cases, political sensitivities and public opinion in those countries complicate efforts to bring back nationals accused of links to extremist groups.

An Arab diplomat echoed the concerns, saying that “such procedures cannot be completed quickly.” To speed up the process, Iraqi authorities have floated the idea of using memorandums of understanding with countries that lack formal bilateral agreements. This mechanism would allow the government to act through executive powers without waiting for parliamentary ratification, potentially expediting negotiations.

The challenge also lies in what awaits the women and children upon their return. While some countries have repatriated citizens from conflict zones in Syria and Iraq, many have struggled with reintegration, prosecution, or rehabilitation programs. Iraq’s push may put pressure on foreign governments to act, especially as its prison crisis worsens.

The backdrop to these discussions is Iraq’s long struggle with the legacy of Daesh. After seizing vast swathes of territory across northern and western Iraq in 2014, the group was militarily defeated by 2017. Yet, the aftermath has left thousands imprisoned for alleged ties to the jihadists, including both Iraqi citizens and foreigners who joined or supported the group. The question of their future has remained unresolved for years, creating a legal and humanitarian dilemma for Baghdad and foreign governments alike.

For now, the committee’s plan marks a step forward, but it remains uncertain how soon any large-scale repatriations will materialize. With prisons overcrowded, pressure building, and international negotiations complex, Iraq faces a difficult balancing act between reducing its prison population and navigating the political and legal hurdles of returning detainees to their countries of origin.